Indo-Welsh Outfit Khamira to Embark on India Tour Next Week

“Khamira’s music is somewhere between the cinematic scope of the Pat Metheny Group and the grunge funk of Miles Davis’ 70s band, intertwine with passages of melancholic Welsh folk music and Indian classical virtuosity,” says Aditya Balani. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

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Indo-Welsh collaborative outfit Khamira is set to embark on their second India tour next week. Kicking off on January 15th, the tour features multiple show and workshop dates in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Consisting of four Welsh members (Tomos Williams on trumpet, Dave Jones on piano, Aidan Thorne on bass and Mark O’Connor on drums) and three Indian members (Aditya Balani on guitar, Suhail Yusuf Khan on sarangi and vocals and Vishal Nagar on tabla) the band blend Welsh folk tunes, Indian classical music, jazz and rock to create a unique, world music concept.

“Khamira’s music is somewhere between the cinematic scope of the Pat Metheny Group and the grunge funk of Miles Davis’ Seventies band, intertwine with passages of melancholic Welsh folk music and Indian classical virtuosity,” says Balani. He explains that the group came together after he met Williams, Jones, Thorne and O’Connor in 2014 when they were touring India as a four-piece under the name Burum. “We really connected well together and they invited me for a short India tour with them the following year. The idea for a project was initiated and we got Suhail and Vishal on board, and soon enough Khamira was born.”

The group released their self-titled debut album in 2017 and completed a major, cross country tour in Wales the same year to promote it. Khamira were chosen to receive funding from the India Wales Fund, a joint scheme between the British Council and Wales Arts International, which aims to help build relationships between Wales and India. Balani shares that other than tracks from the album, the group have new material and arrangements they’re eager to share with audiences.